NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM. 167 
The characters of the sub-genus Amphisorex may be briefly 
stated, and will be found useful in distinguishing the common 
shrews of this country from the prevailing continental species, 
which belong to the genus Crocidura, and the teeth altogether 
white. ‘Teeth all more or less coloured at the tips; lateral 
incisors in the upper jaw, five, diminishing gradually in size 
from first to last.” 
The Rev. L. Jenyns was the first to separate this species from 
the S. tetragonurus of continental writers; from which, we think, 
it is specifically distinct; though the fact is not admitted by some. 
He first described certain Irish specimens under this name, and 
afterwards some English ones under the name of S. rusticus, 
failing, at the time, to perceive their identity, which he after- 
wards pointed out, and desired to give the latter name to the 
species; the name we adopt has, however, the priority, and has 
been generally used by subsequent writers; though the existence 
of the two has given rise to much confusion. 
M. de Selys Longchamps has published an able criticism on 
this and the allied species in the Etudes de Micromammalogie, 
Paris, 1839, p. 39. 
The commonest continental species is Sorex (Crocidura) araneus, 
hence most English authors prior to Jenyns gave this name to 
this, our commonest species, or rather to this and the next species 
which were not then discriminated. . 
The dentition is 3 middle incisors; 3, 3 lateral incisors; 4, 4 
molars; total 29. 
The English names and popular superstitions connected with 
this animal will be understood to include the two species. 
The name, Shrew, like that of most of our common animals, 
is of Anglo-Saxon origin, being in that language schreava, from 
schreadan, to cut, or the analogous scheorjfian, to bite or gnaw. 
It is popularly believed that the shrew produces lameness by 
running over the feet of horses or men. The twigs of the shrew- 
ash are, however, an efficient remedy. It is also believed that it 
cannot cross a cart road, and that to pass over the track of a 
horse is fatal to it, hence the numbers which in some months 
are found lying dead on the roads. ‘The true cause of this 
